1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for preparing cans for recycling, and more particularly, to an apparatus for automatically cleaning and crushing aluminum cans, tin-plated steel cans, and the like to facilitate recycling. Similar devices are described in a Disclosure Document entitled "Appliance for Preparation of Materials for Recycling" which was submitted to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Apr. 8, 1992 by one of the present inventors, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Recycling has become an increasingly cost-effective manner of providing the raw materials necessary to manufacture many different products. Indeed, aluminum and glass have been recycled in many jurisdictions for several years, with substantial success. However, other materials such as so-called "tin" cans, which are typically tin-plated steel cans, have not been readily recycled. For example, the large tin-plated steel cans such as the 4.25 inch and 6.25 inch diameter cans used by restaurants and other commercial establishments typically are not recycled and instead end up in landfills. To date, recycling of such cans is rare because the cans are relatively bulky and difficult to handle, and the associated cost recovery generally has not justified the extra recycling effort.
Applicants believe that if one were to significantly reduce the volume of cans, such as the tin-plated steel cans just mentioned, thereby reducing the area required to store the cans, that more cans would be recycled. Reducing the volume of such cans would also reduce the amount of space such cans take up in landfills where recycling is not available. In addition, by first rinsing and disposing of the waste in such cans before recycling or other disposal, potential health hazards may be reduced that otherwise could be encountered when storing used cans and lids still containing food particles. Furthermore, applicants believe that if the cans were cleaned and crushed prior to recycling or other disposal that the time taken to prepare the cans used in commercial food preparation for recycling would be drastically reduced. Most importantly, recycling of such cans and lids would be promoted if the recycling process were made easier.
The prior art has failed to address the above-mentioned concerns. While the prior art discloses apparatus for opening and washing cans and for draining the materials from such cans, and other apparatus for crushing such cans, the prior art fails to disclose apparatus for cleaning and crushing cans and the like to facilitate recycling.
For example, Knapp et al. disclose in U.S. Pat. No. 4,058,412 a device for washing a can including a knife having a channel containing a spray nozzle therein for cleaning the can whenever the knife pierces the can. No crushing device is suggested.
Folmar discloses in U.S. Pat. No. 4,967,776 an apparatus for cleaning oil filters by cutting openings in a used oil filter to allow the drainage of excess dirty oil from the oil filter and then rinsing and cleaning the oil filter for disposal. Once again, no crushing device is suggested.
Gurtler discloses in U.S. Pat. No. 4,126,160 a mechanical device adapted to empty a large can by cutting out one end, draining the contents into a container, flushing the can, and then crushing it by means of a ram adapted to press the can onto a ring of sharpened teeth. However, the device disclosed by Gurtler is primarily used for emptying and disposing of metal cans of large sizes used for holding farm chemicals and the like and does not facilitate the cleaning and crushing of a plurality of cans without substantial operator intervention.
Accordingly, a device is still needed which can automatically and economically clean and crush cans to facilitate recycling of such cans. The present invention has been designed for this purpose.